This story takes place in a world where the ability to work magic is genetic, and women with magical ability are considered prized pieces of property during their childbearing years. When women come of age, they're practically auctioned off (okay, that's harsh–if their families have money, they attend parties and make connections with eligible men while their families plot who will make the best matches). What's most difficult for women with magic is when they are married, a collar is locked around their neck to deny them access to their magic–and the collar isn't removed until they're no longer of childbearing age.

This is the story of two young women from opposite financial backgrounds who both want essentially the same thing: not to marry.

Midnight Bargain is a book I'm glad I read despite misgivings I had after reading the cover piece, which I found misleading. (I may need to stop reading cover descriptions, because this has happened to me a lot lately.) It might also be that the title doesn't quite suit the story. There is a midnight bargain, but the story is so much deeper and complex.

Without giving spoilers, there is a romance between a girl from a less affluent background and a man whose family owns shipyards and more. Their romance is real, and the girl struggles with her realization that she wants to marry him, but she can't do it and stay true to her goal of becoming a sorceress. She has many other struggles she fights through by herself, including guilt over what will become of her family–including a younger sister–if she doesn't marry well (or marry at all). She is a great character, makes a mess of things more than once, and the man of her dreams finds her adorable for it.

The man is before his time, because he listens to the girl when she talks to him about how she feels about the way women are treated like property (and more). She speaks freely to him because she doesn't think he'll listen any more than other men, but he does listen, and he think about what she's said, and he becomes her champion.

His sister is the third main character. She is also expected to marry well and wants none of it. Her reasons are different, but valid and impressive. From the beginning, the girl (and the reader) knows she's someone to be reckoned with. She will get what she wants. We don't really get to understand her until near the end of the story, where I decided I loved her character more than the sorceress in love.

This is a story I might re-read just to make sure I didn't miss anything the first time through. It's a good read, with more depth and fun than you might be expecting. And if you need some excitement, there are a few murder attempts and chase scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. I can't imagine being bored by this story.

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Created Mar 03, 2024 at 5:12pm • Submit your own review...